~*Philips Building.*~
Dane had a long and hectic day. His thoughts light. He had several photos of the young woman he desires to know. She was beautiful, and he wanted nothing more than to know her. Dane needed more information. The pictures helped to ease his lustful thoughts.
"Night Mr. Vogle." Came from several as he walked the corridors heading home.
"Don't wither away too much, much more to do when the sun rises." He quips back with a dashing smile.
"Yes, Mr. Vogle. Get home safely."
He had stepped from the building into the chilly night air. He adjusted the scarf around his neck as he entered the black town car that waited running to take him home. His cell rang. "Yes."
"I spotted the young lady at the shopping center moments ago."
"You did?" Dane was pleasantly excited to have news of the woman. He had gotten further information on the stores she went into and who she was with. "Thank you. If there was something that she had taken a liking to, acquire it and drop it off in the morning." The reports he had of Kyouki were his current relaxation routine.
~*Head of Security Office, Philips Building.*~
Dex had access to the largest database ever. With getting information as his fall back, he was scouring the company database before he went home for the night. Something didn't sit well with the man and he was itching to find out what. There was one person to ask, and all he had to do was find him.
"Where the fuck is he? Really need to update this system." Dexter muttered to himself. "Found you, you son of a bitch."
When he found what he needed, he printed it off, then making a copy, grabbing a manila envelope, putting the paper away, locking it in his office drawer, jotting down a few phone numbers. Grabbing his coat, Dexter dropped it in the express mail addressed to The Chief of police.
~*Grand St. Rebadeaux.*~
A few days later, Kyouki was to meet with the man she once knew. He lived near the strip club, Tee-N-Ay, in Rebadeaux, formally Lasalle.
It was late afternoon, and it felt like the temperature dropped from just the short time she sat out under one of the glass gazebos. Li looked around as she waited. A grungy-looking man was walking up, scratching the back of his neck. The man's attire was not suitable for the winter months. He may have been homeless for all Kyouki knew, and she readied herself to turn him down gently. That was until he spoke up.
"You know Shaundi?"
"Yeah?"
"Name's Samson. She said you needed some C4 satchels."
Li's brows drew together. "Samson? That really you?" As she looked over at this man who shadowed his former self.
"Yeah, sup." He scratched his shoulder, shrugging a bit.
"It's me, Li, you remember me? You helped me with some Rollerz some years back."
Looking up, he looked her in the eyes. "Oh shit, wow, hey, you looking good. Yeah, it's me." He smiled, a few of his teeth missing.
Li frowned through her smile. He didn't look like himself. If he hadn't said who he was, she would have never known. He looked scarcely familiar; she nodded and pulled him along with her to her car. "Yeah, I do. Nothing like what you did for them dickheads before. How have you been?"
He laughed and rocked a bit. "Yeah, I.. haha, I got into some shit hooked on Loa, but Imma get clean." He admitted.
Ky knew that was a lie. "You hungry?" He had lost so much weight.
Samson nodded. "I could, don't want to, impose."
"Never imposing, I got you. Stop fuckin' with that shit, you hear me?"
"Yeah."
~
They pulled up to Purgatory. She explained what she needed. "Ok, so what is happening is I'm breaking into the jail. Johnny here yet or Shaundi?" Addressing a few guards that stood inside. The two of the crew shook their heads no. It was still early, Li remembered. "Amber, Cory, come here a sec."
"Yeah, Boss?" The two Saints stood awaiting Li's instruction.
Thumbing to Samson. "Full set, long john's too, coat, shoes size 9, and order breakfast for everyone, and his, bring right away to the apartment, and hot tea or coffee, bring both." They took one look at the man, nodded, hurrying off after she handed them a couple hundred.
~
Li led him out to her old apartment and knocked. Brain opened up. Li explained the situation. Samson walked in and got a nice hot shower.
A half-hour later, Amber came to the apartment with a change of clothes and food in hand. "That was fast." Li seemed surprised.
"We already had ordered and had some extras. The food is fresh from the diner up the way."
"Thanks. Talk to you later."
"No problem Boss." The young woman left with a nod.
Handing the bag of clothing and the coat to Brain, handed the boxes of shoes for him to try on to Samson. "Samson, when you're finished, come meet me at Purgatory. Take your time. Thanks, Brian, bring him over, please. I have to see if I have a spare room."
"No problem, Ky." Brian nodded as Li hustled out in the cold and back into Purgatory. When Gat greeted her.
~*Purgatory.*~
It wasn't long before the crew trickled in, Johnny had arrived just as Li came back from the apartment. Meeting her at her bedroom door.
Li told him to come sit in the office so they could talk about her plan. Johnny's eyebrows shot up. There was off the wall shit, and then off the wall shit. With Kyouki she learned from the master.
Johnny was repeating what she just said, hearing it as if he had mistaken what he heard. "You want to break into the Pen ?" Johnny's eyebrow was so arched it looked like it would stay stuck. Of all the things he never heard of anyone needing to break in a jail.
"Yeah, you want to come with me, cause last I remember, I was groggy. Didn't get the grand tour unless they paraded my unconscious body around the joint."
"They ain't do that, Laura Rojas, right?" Gat checked his phone.
"No Baker, is what Shaundi says her name is. I didn't get a picture."
With a nod Gat was ready to head out. "Aight, when you want to go?"
"After getting some satchels, I'm not good at lock picking?" She scratched her head. She poured two cups of tea, sipping on the hot tea, thinking if she had everything that she needed for the jailbreak.
~
It wasn't a long wait when she looked past Gat, seeing Samson and Brian walking in. In Samson's hands a bag and in his other a detonator.
Li took the bag from him and the detonator, listening closely on how to use it, nodding her repeat of the instructions. Brian questioned what she needed it for and Li looked at him with a tilt of her head.
"You sound like a cop." Both Gat and Li said at the same time.
"Jinx!" They looked at each other.
"Jinx again!" Gat pointed at her nose. Li scrunched her face.
Gat smirked. "Gat shut up!" They said again at the same time.
Li gasped and shouted. "Cierra el pico!" Li smiled victoriously.
Gat rolled his eyes, snorting, then looked at Brian. "You a cop?" Looks from Johnny would defiantly kill.
Brian swallowed hard, shook his head no. "Ex-Cop I was just asking in case you needed help."
Gat nodded. "Aight, let's roll." He was going to need to watch him.
~*Stilwater University Dock, Frat Row.*~
They headed to the docks that were closest to the Penitentiary. Kyouki had hired a boatman, waiting for the driver to be ready himself. Li went to the trunk, grabbing the explosives. "Sorry, Brian, can you hang here until we get back? I didn't know you were coming." Handing Johnny the bag.
"Yeah, it's cool." With a tip of his head, he sat back in the car and waited for them.
~*~*~*~*~
The isle prison she had been in was now cold and crawling with guards. She and Gat had watched the guards that ran along the isle patrolling as they sailed by. The boatman knew where they needed to go, the cove under the prison. With the motor cut, they glided to the warf the two hopped out. Johnny popped the lock to the boiler room door.
Kyouki took the detonator wedged it where Samson told them it would be most useful and then they made their way up through the prison to find Laura.
The pair kept their heads down. Nodding to several guards along the way, Kyouki had to chuckle to herself. "Hey Johnny, please make a note of 'Weird shit I have done in my life.' , for when I write my memoirs."
"You mean some more." Gat had to chuckle as well.
"Oh, haha."
"What, I think dressing as VK counts as infiltration?" Johnny admitted.
Ky recalled what was said then. "I still can't believe you said you were yellow enough."
"Oh yeah. You said you didn't look good in it either." They walked by some more guards, nodding.
"True. I don't. This brown isn't either." She pulled the shirt looking at th shit brown color it is in the dingy prison lights.
~*The Church, Dex's Office, 97'.*~
Johnny limped in, the metal brace on his leg still not keeping him immobile, He knew he would have to hear Li and Ish's mouths, but he had some payback for his knee, "Dex, don't worry, I have a plan."
"Johnny, your idea of a plan is taking the biggest hammer you can find and smashing whatever's in your way." Dex folded his arms across his chest, knowing he was right.
"That sounds like a plan to me."
"Yeah, a shitty one, as your whack ass robo-leg clearly proves."
"Oh, fuck you." Gat looked away, seeing Li walk in already, giving him a look that demanded he need to be home resting.
Dex pointed at Li. "Next time you try that cowboy shit, you might not walk away at all."
"No, seriously, fuck you." Johnny growled. He let it slip one night, drunk. How he was digging Li to Dex, Dexter, makes it a point to point out Johnny's soft side.
Dex raised his hands in defence. "Look, I worked out a plan that will hurt the Kings, and put minimum risk on you both."
Johnny rubbed his hands together with a smile. "How much murderin' do I get to do?"
"None."
Li smirked cause nothing that goes boom or bleeds, Gat isn't happy. "Your plan blows." Gat was ready to leave, heading to the door.
"Hear me out, alright? King's obviously got somethin' goin' on with the police. I'll figure that shit out. In the meantime, I want you two to go out and cause some havoc. If we can turn the public's eye to the Kings, then the police won't have a choice but to come down on them."
Li was shocked. She let Johnny use her as a crutch. He saved her life, which is why he is in a leg brace now. "Okay, so we do some damage. How do the VKs get blamed?" Johnny questioned, putting most of his weight on Li purposely.
Li pushed him and moved out of the way. "Dexter, we are allowed to play?" Pulling her headphone from her ear.
Dex nodded and rolled his eyes. One Johnny was enough, but the two of them together? Before Johnny was shot, they ran the streets, terrorizing the other gangs. Li was bad enough alone as well, but who better to cause mayhem while keeping Johnny on a leash? "Put these on."
"I'm yellow enough as it is, Dex."
"Just put the damn shirt on, you too."
"Ew." Li looked at the oversized yellow shirt in her hands. "It washes me out."
"No complaints or neither of you go."
"Fine." Gat and Li said together. Heading to the door, Johnny acted like he needed help, leaning on Li. "Come on, let's get dressed. Then we got a little peace to disturb."
~*S.R.1*~
They traveled up a few flights to the second floor of the Northern cells, and to the cell of one Laura Baker. "You, Laura Baker?"
"Yes?" a middle-aged woman dressed in a standard prison jumper with a grey sweater over her shoulders answered as she politely stood at the cell doors.
Li reached into her pocket. "All work and no boom makes Johnny a dull boy."
Johnny looked over. He admitted he would have rather shot his way in, but Li insisted. When she then pressed the detonator and the ground shook, he smiled. Right on cue, the lights went out and the cell doors clicked open.
"A jailbreak? How exciting!" Laura seems positively giddy. Li and Gat hustled Laura back out of the way they came in. The whole prison was in an uproar, guards everywhere trying to get the inmates back into their cells. And they escaped relatively undetected. It took them longer to get back to the boat as they skulked in the shadows, getting past the guards that were scrambling around the dark island.
~*~
Dumping their uniforms in the ocean as they made it back to the mainland, they came up to the car with Laura in tow and ushered her in out of the cold.
"Gotdamn it's freezing out." Li shivered as they all climbed into the car.
Brian asked. "Who is this?"
Johnny drew his gun, aimed at the back of his head.
"Aye, Johnny, chill!" Li whipped around, hearing the gun click.
"He's a cop. Could work for Troy."
Brian held his hands up. "Listen, I don't know any Troys!"
Li thought about it and pulled off away from the docks. With a sigh, she has to make a decision that would cost a life tonight. "Brian, it'd be wise to tell the truth. Do you know Troy, and are you a cop?"
Brain swallowed hard. "Ex-cop, I am on the run myself. I don't know Troy."
Li looked back at Gat, who wasn't all that convinced, giving her a small nod, and withdrew his gun.
Laura was still reeling from her prison break. It was still new to her. "You look familiar. You know a girl named Li? She helped me years ago when I first started slinging, as the kids say."
Li looked in the rearview mirror. "You are that Laura! Wasn't your last name Rojas?"
"Why yes it was. I had gotten remarried. Oh my, are you Li?" Laura leaned over to take a better look at the now young woman who helped her when she first started hustling.
"Hey Ms. Laura, long time no see." Li smiled, Gat turned away. That smile of hers gives him goosebumps, in a good way. He isn't over her, not in the slightest.
"Oh Dear, we heard you were in that terrible accident. Johnny here was getting people to look…"
Gat sat up and cleared his throat. "Aye Ky, can you drop Brian and me off right here? Pick me up when you're finished."
Li looked again in the rearview to Johnny, who was looking out of the window, grinding his teeth. Pulling over, Gat went to open Laura's door and strolled her to the passengers side, talking to her before letting her in the car.
~
Gat waved them off and went to get a drink with Brian. Once she was strapped in, Laura cleared her throat. "I can't wait to see my husband… It's been a few. Can you drop me off at my house?"
Li was curious to know what Laura was talking about. "Of course." Thinking she could get her to talk as they drove. When she went to probe, Laura would go on about her kids and how she ended up where she was.
Just before they reached Laura's street. "My husband's been so supportive while I was in jail. It's really incredible… Some people said it was a bad idea to date your sponsor, but I say what the heck, it's love, right?"
Li chuckled. Laura hadn't changed a bit, still the soccer mom. As they got out, walking to the front door, Laura continued to gush. "Thank you so much for breaking me out of jail. You really should stay for dinner. It's the least I can do..." She rang the doorbell.
Li smiled. "I would love a home-cooked meal, but I have to go pick up my friends." Shivering slightly, pulling her hood over her head.
Laura nodded in agreement. It was getting colder out, Laura was absolutely thrilled to see Li again. "I still can't get over that it's you, this is sooo exciting… You know I fully support you one hundred percent, right?"
Li smiled brightly. It was good to see another face she knew, and helped, even if it was a weird time in her life making connections. Laura will help her, and this made the night even better. "Oh, before I go, you're certain you can figure out what's in the Sons' stuff?"
"Don't worry sweetie, when it comes to drugs or snickerdoodles, I'm the best."
The front door opened and there stood a shirtless man in a pair of patchwork pants. "Ain't that the truth, baby..."
Laura whipped around to see her husband greeting her. "Toby!" Laura squealed.
Li stood wide-eyed as Laura jumped into her husband's arms. She looked away and made the connection to who the man was, when she realized who this Toby was, pressing her lips together to keep herself from laughing.
"Thanks for bringing my pumpkin muffin back. You need anything you can let me know..."
Trying to find her words. "Oh, I… I already talked to Laura about that." Li smiled and nodded, slowly backing away.
"In that case, you mind givin' me and the wife some quality time? I'd like to have a belated conjugal before the PTA meeting..."
Li nodded and backed away, further saluting, "Not at all, bye Laura and ... wow… Tobaias Baker." Snickering, she started the car and headed back to pick up Gat and Brian.
~
Kyouki saw Jonny waiting as she pulled up, he had a bag in hand. "Where to Gat-san?" Ky pretending to be his personal driver.
"Ish's."
Kyouki nodded. "Want to tell me what Laura was talking about?"
Gat looked at Ky then looked away, out ahead of them, rubbing his nose, shook his head no.
"You good?" Kyouki asked.
Christmas music was quietly playing on the radio, as they crushed through the bright lights of the city. There was a long pause as Johnny thought about just how he was feeling.
"For once I am." Gat smirked.
Kyouki thought about what happened with Laura and him. As it was very peculiar to Johnny's sudden interruption of Laura, she will toss out the lingering thoughts she had put aside before. "When you feel like telling me, I'm ready."
Gat took his glasses off to clean them. "Nah, you're not." Ky gave the man a side-eye that he could not deny was menacing. He snorted in response.
With a sigh Kyouki continued with more questions. "Where's Brian?" Ky changed the subject.
"I didn't kill him. He had to pick up something, and said good night."
Ky nodded again. "What's in the bag?"
"You a cop?" Gat smirked.
"No, but I dated one." Kyouki smirked.
Gat chuckled, sobering a bit. "You think Dex knew?" Johnny was sure Dex knew, the man knew a lot, and for being the information man, Dex had to have known, he ain't say shit cause Dexter Jackson knew Johnny and Kyouki too well.
Kyouki's turn to think, she had to think about that question for a second. "You know, I'm not sure. I should see if I can get in touch with him."
Gat cleared his throat, shaking his head no again. "I wouldn't bother. He works for Ultor." They pulled up into Aisha's driveway.
"Oh." was all she could say. She was down. Dex would be a great help in re-cleaning the streets.
~
Kyouki and Aisha talked about the holiday coming up as they had a simple dinner, Ky wanted to do something nice for Shaundi, and Aisha was on board. They talked late into the night. Kyouki was so tired, the day was so busy, and the cold got to her, nice and comfortable with the good conversation that she dozed off in her seat.
A black sedan had been following Kyouki from the time they spotted her at the mall. Taking notes, the driver had pulled off, heading to its final destination to report in for the night.
~*~*~*~*~
"A convicted drug felon is back on the streets after escaping prison. An unknown assailant was seen docking at the prison island shortly before an explosion near the prison's generator cut all power to the holding cells. The assailant then made their way to the holding cells, where they met up with the drug felon, before being airlifted from the island. Despite the recent rash of breakouts, authorities insist nothing is wrong with the prison facility, and remind those seeking employment to please drop off a resume at the downtown police station." - Jane Valderrama
"Drug dealing mom escapes prison leaves a pleasant note." — Stilwater Gazette